Israel Today: Ongoing War Report - Update from 2026-06-13 at 16:01

HEADLINES
Gaza Activists Rally For June 26 Revolution
Geva Binyamin Farm Shooting Amid Settlement Plans
Qatar Iran Secret Deal Halting Ras Laffan

The time is now 4:01 PM in New York, I'm Noa Levi and this is the latest Israel Today: Ongoing War Report.

In Regional Impacts, a new campaign calling for rallies in the Gaza Strip later this month has gained momentum, organized by a coalition of Gaza-based activists, exiled social media influencers and journalists. The movement, launched under the banner of the June 26 Revolution, aims to protest Hamas rule and the current political, social and humanitarian reality facing Palestinians in the Strip. Gazan journalist Abed al-Hamid Abed al-Ati, one of the prominent figures pushing the June protests, said, “The people of Gaza need to rebuild their lives. The suffering has to stop,” and added that the aim is to give Gazans a path to dignity and a normal life, stating, “We are not asking much; we just want to live like any other human beings.”

Also in the region, a 29-year-old Palestinian man was shot on a farm in the Geva Binyamin settlement in the West Bank after allegedly threatening the resident with a stone. The farm’s owners said the Palestinian trespassed onto their property and attempted to attack the resident when the farmer investigated the situation; the shooter fired his personal weapon, wounding the Palestinian, who was evacuated for medical treatment and will be transferred to security forces for questioning. Police say the investigation is ongoing, with unconfirmed reports suggesting the attacker may have had a mental illness. The incident comes as tensions rise in the West Bank, where the government is expected to approve funding for 61 new settlements, a plan involving more than $350 million over several years and promoted by far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, with many of the proposed sites in strategically sensitive areas.

In Regional Impacts, Qatar offered Iran a secret deal before the Islamic Republic’s war with the United States and Israel, aimed at preventing Iranian strikes on Qatari energy infrastructure in exchange for halting gas production. The Washington Post cited officials describing the arrangement as a means to shield the Ras Laffan gas complex from attack, noting that the Ras Laffan facility was damaged by an Iranian missile strike in March. Officials said that the goal of halting gas production was to push up global energy prices and apply pressure on the United States and Israel to stop the war. A regional security officer said Qatar likely sought to avoid damage that would take ten years to recover, and the report described the details as an example of hedging behind the scenes with Gulf states and Iran.

Also in Regional Impacts, US coverage noted that President Donald Trump said negotiations with Iran were in their final stages and that an agreement could be signed as early as tomorrow, according to his post on his Truth Social account.

In the Conflict with Iran and its Regional Proxies, an opinion piece argues that the IRGC is not defending Iran but exporting the Islamic revolution. It contends that Western diplomats and analysts err when they treat Tehran as a conventional nation-state guided by national interest, borders and civil welfare. The author says the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is the regime, a parallel structure that acts as a transnational movement to export a fundamentalist ideology, with the Constitution defining the military’s mission as fulfilling the jihad to extend God’s law globally. The piece portrays the IRGC as an occupying force that uses wealth and power to sustain a global insurgency, insisting that understanding the IRGC’s role is essential to grasp Iran’s actions.

In Israeli Domestic Politics, former consul general Yaki Dayan says Netanyahu is not a natural partner in Donald Trump’s push for a Middle East peace accord. Dayan cautions that Trump’s Iran strategy signals a shift in Washington toward world peace, noting that it aims to show progress and may involve signs and demonstrations of advancement. He questions the pathway to victory, suggesting the plan could involve maintaining some enriched material rather than full removal and pointing to a likely lifting of the economic siege within roughly 60 days, a move he describes as potentially problematic for Israel. Dayan also notes a clash of interests between the United States and Israel over Hezbollah in Lebanon, while acknowledging there are areas where their interests align, indicating a complex diplomatic balance ahead.

Thank you for tuning in to this Israel Today: Ongoing War Report update.
I'm Noa Levi. Stay safe and informed.
Keep in mind that this AI-generated report may contain occasional inaccuracies, so consult multiple sources for a comprehensive view. Find the code and more details in the podcast description.

SOURCES
https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-899267
https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-899264
https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/iran-news/article-899263
https://t.me/ILtoday/19293
https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-899120
https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/article-899265